Byron b



(No Model.)

- B. B. CARTER.

INTERGEPTING VALVE.

No. 513,084. Patented Jan. Z3, 1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BYRON B. CARTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE M.,C. BULLOCK MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

INTERCEPTING-VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,084, dated January 23, 1894.

Application filed'June 19, 1891. Serial No. 396.852r (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BYRON B. CARTER, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Intercepting-Valves; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to interceptingvalves for compound engines, and has for its.

object to automatically supply the low pressure cylinder as well as 'the high pressure cylinder with live steam upon starting the engine, said supply to the low pressure cylinder being automatically cut olf when a quantity of exhaust steam from the high pressure cylinder sufficient to supply the low pressure cylinder has accumulated.

To this end my invention consists in certain novel features which will be hereinafter described and then pointed out in the appended claims.l

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a compound steam engine having my improved intercepting-valve applied, only so much of the en gineaudits connections being shown as is necessary for a proper comprehension of the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the intercepting-valve, detached, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the valve casing, the valve being removed, taken on the line 3-3 -of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail elevation, partly in section, of a modification of the main valve.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, A represents theA high pressure cylinder of the engine, and B the low pressure cylinder,

while C is the receiver, which conveys the eX- haust steam from the cylinder A to the cylinder B. Live steam issupplied to the cylinder A by means of a steam supply pipe, D, from the boiler. A throttle valve, ol, controls the admission of steam to the cylinder A. B represents the exhaust-pipe of the low pressure cylinder B. These parts may be of any approved form, their construction forming no part of my present invention.

E represents the intercepting-valve considered as a whole.- In practice, I prefer to locate this valve at the point shown, intermediate between-the receiver and low pressure cylinder, and immediately adjacent to this latter, to the steam chest ofI which it is secured.

F represents the valve casing, which may conveniently be constructed of three parts, as shown, c. a lower body-portion, F', an upper body-portion, F2, and a cap oncover, F3, united by flanges and bolts, as shown. In the upper portion of the valve-casing is a chamber, G, which communicates with the steam-chest of the cylinder B, while the lower portion of the interior of'said casing forms a chamber, G', communicating with the receiver C. Between these chambers is located a diaphragm, g, having a valve aperture, g', controlled by the main valve or intercepting-valve proper, H. As shown in Fig. 2, this valve is a well 'known form of double-opening piston valve, comprising a disk, h, an annular upper opening or port or series of ports, h', and a ring or annulus, h2, below the same, connected with the disk and hub by wings, h3. Cooperating With the valve H is a cylindrical seat, I, mounted in the valve-aperture g and having an annularl port or` series of ports, '11, surmounte/dvby a ring or annulus, c". With the valve in the position shown, the annulus h2 closes the port t', while the annulus c" closes the port h. Upon raising the valve both parts are opened simultaneously, and the steam passes freely through both ports, obviating chattering of the valve and wire drawing of the steam.

WithinY the chamber G is located a cylinder, J, into which the valve stem, K, of the valve H extends. Said valve stem is provided Within said cylinder, with pistons, k and 7o', of different areas, the cylinder lJ having chambers, j and j', within which the pistons k and lo respectively iit. The cylinder .I is provided at one side near its lower end with a lateral port, jz, between the chambers j and G', and there is vin the bottom of said cylinder a drip aperture, js, to permit theoscape of any water of condensation which may collect therein. The cylinder J is supported from the lower section F of the valve casing F by means of wings, J connecting it there- ICO with, and in one of these wings, which is of a greater width than the others, there is formed an inlet passage, Z, extending from the exterior of the valve to the lower portion of the chamber j, which it opens, being-provided at its terminus with a downward extension, Z.

L represents a steam supply pipe connected at one end with the passage Z, its other end being connected with the live steam supply at some point intermediate between the throttle valve and high pressure cylinder, as, `for instance, at the steam chest, as shown. This pipe is provided with a valve, L', for controlling the iiow of steam through the same, which valve may be an ordinary steam-valve, or a reducing-valve of any approved form. From the upper portion of the chamber j, a by-pass, Z2, formed partly in the wing J and partly in the wall of the valve casing F, extends upward to the chamber G, into which it opens.

The valve thus organized and arranged operates in the following manner. When the throttle-valve d is closed, the several parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Upon opening the throttle valve to start the engine live steam is admitted not only to the high pressure cylinder A, but also to the pipe L, and, passing through said pipe and the passage Z, enters the chamber j. Leaving this chamber, the live steam passes through the by-pass Z2 into the chamber G, and thence into the low pressure cylinder B, upon the piston of which it acts to cause the same to aid the high pressure cylinder A in starting the engine. In its passage through the pipe L the steam passes through the valve L', which serves, by throttling the steam, to so reduce its pressure as to prevent too high a pressure in the low pressure cylinder. As an additional or alternative device for accomplishing this end, I may provide a safety-valve, M, which is shown as mounted upon the top of the valve-casing, the cover F3 of which is provided with a threaded aperture, f, to receive the same. It is obvious that any increase in pressure in the chamber G'over the desired pressure, for which the safety-valve M is set, will open said valve 'and permit the escape of a portion of the steam, reducing the pressure to the normal. The valve remains in the position shown until the pressure of the exhaust steam in the receiver from the exhaust of the high pressure cylinder A is suihcient to overcome the reduced pressure of the live steam above the valve H, whereupon the said valve starts to move upward. This initial upward movement is due not only to direct pressure on the valve H, but also to the pressure of the steam which enters the chamber j through the port jz, and, owing to the difference in area between the pistons 7c and la', aids in starting the valve H. As soon as the valve H is thus moved upward the slight distance suiicient for the purpose,the livesteam from the passage Z, through the medium of the downward extension Z',

tively in this position as long as the throttle valve d is open. It will be noted that this upward movement of the valve and its connected parts brings the piston 7c opposite the by-pass Z2, thereby closing said by-pass and cutting on. the supply of live steam to the low pressure cylinder. The vexhaust steam from the receiver now passes freely through the valve H to said cylinder, and the operation of the engine is normal. Upon closing the throttle valve d, the valve H returns to the position shown either by gravity or by reason of a construction which I will hereinafter describe, and upon this return of the valve the steam underneath the piston Zt escapes through the openingij2 until the lower face of said piston has passed beyond said opening, when the remaining steam confined between said piston and the end of the cylinder acts as a cushion to prevent violent contact of the parts as the valve closes. When the valve is about closed the steam between the pistons lo and k escapes through the opening jz, thus relieving they valve ot' all lifting pressure. The parts being now in their original position, when the engine is again started the operation just described is repeated.

As already stated, the valve H -may return to its place by gravity upon closing the throttle valve, and this especiallywhen the arrangement is vertical, as shown. But in the case of a horizontally arranged valve, or if it be deemed desirable to further insure the closing of the valve by positively actuating means, I employ the following device. Upon the valve stem K I provide a third piston, 7a2, which may take the shape of an enlargement of the valve stem K, as in the construction shown, andl I form upon the head, J 2, of the cylinder .I an extension, J B, the interior of which forms a cylindrical chamber,.j4, within which the enlargement or piston k2 fits. From the top of this chamber a passage, n, formed partly in the extension J8 and partly in one of the wings J', leads to the exterior of the valve casing F, from which point a pipe, N, extends either to the steam-supply pipe D at a point between the boiler and throttle valve d, or to the boiler. A constant supply of live steam to the chamber 7'4 is thus obtained, whether the throttle valve be open or closed. This steam acts with suiicient force upon the piston or enlargement 7a2 to positively close the valve H when the steam supply is shut 0E at the throttle valve cZ, but not with suttioient force to oppose the opening of the valve H to any appreciable extent when the throttle valve is open and the engine running or starting to run. Upon the opening of the IOO IIO

valve H after starting the engine, the steam in said chambery'4 acts as a cushion to prevent violent contact of the parts when they reach their limit of motion. It will thus be seen that, in this structure, the valve mechanism is cushioned at the limits of its motion in both directions. By locating the port of the by-pass below the top of the' chamber j, as shown,the same cushioning effect may be obtained.

It will be observed that the valve thus constructed is exceedingly simple in construction, all the working parts being inclosed in a single casingdispensingwith the cataracts and resistance cylinders heretofore employed, and having no external connections, thereby dispensing with all glands or packed joints,

and obviating leakage. Moreover the main valve is opened and held open by positive steam pressure and consequently the steam from the receiver is not in the least wire drawn in holding the valve open, and the device is thus of superior efficiency.

So far as my present invention is concerned the form of the main Valve is immaterial, and although for reasons already stated I' prefer the form shown in Fig. 2, yet any approved form of unbalanced valve may be used, and I have shown, in Fig. 4, a plain `disk valve, H', which may be employed to close the valve opening g. Moreover althoughfor simplicity I have united several parts in one, as for instance, by employing the valve-stem to connect all the pistons with the valve, and by using the piston k as a valve for controlling the by-pass and live steam supply passage, yet I do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to the precise construction shown, as it is capable of embodiment in other forms.

l. The combination with an intercepting valve, of a cylinder havinga pistonconnected with the intercepting valve, a passage controlled by the movement of the intercepting valve and adapted to supply steam to actuate said piston, whereby the intercepting valve will be positively opened by high pressure steam as soon as it has been partially opened by the exhaust steam, and a passage for admitting live steamto the low pressure cylinder, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an intercepting valve of a cylinder having a piston connected with the intercepting valve, passages leading from said cylinder nevar opposite ends thereof to the low pressure cylinder and high pressure steam supply respectively, whereby when partially lifted by the initial move'- ment of the intercepting valve said piston will be operated by live steam pressure to completely open said valve and to close communication between said passages, substantially as described. y

3. The combination with an intercepting valve, of cylinders and pistons of different areas, the latter connected with said valve, a passage controlled .by the said valve forv admitting live steam between the pistons `to cause them to open and hold open the said valve, and a passage also controlled by said Valve, for admitting live steam to the low pressure cylinder, substantially as described.

4. The combination with ,a valve casing having an npper and a lower chamber adapted to be connected respectively with the exhaust passage from the high pressure cylinder and the steam passage to the low pressure cylinder, of avalve aperture between said chambers, an intercepting valve controlling said aperture and having a stem provided with pistons of different areas, a cylinder inclosed in the lower chamber and having chambers fitting the pistons, a port leading from the lower chamber of thecasing into the lower cylinder chamber slightly above the bottom of the latter, an inlet passage opening into ,the upper cylinder chamber near its lower endand leading to the upper chamber of the valve casing, the larger piston being adapted to control the ports of said inlet passage and by-pass, substantiallyas described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BYRON B.y CARTER.

Witnesses:v

C. CLARENCE POOLE, GEORGE W. HIGGINS, Jr. 

